POST # 373 MYSTERY CASE No. 9 WHO am I ?

Good Day GUITAR EUREKA Detectives!

You are given 10 clues to the identity of this mystery PERSON. See how many clues you require to solve the case...have fun! (this is a hard one!)

1. I was born on 26 June 1898 in Lake Dick, Arkansas, and was one of 17(!) children.

2. I copyrighted more than 300 songs during my lifetime, including both adaptations of traditional folk songs and original blues songs.

3. I made myself a fiddle from a cigar box and learned how to play spirituals and folk songs from my uncle, Jerry Belcher.

4. I had decided to give up the fiddle and become a preacher but was offered $50 and a new violin if I would play four days at a local venue. Before I could respond to the offer, my wife took the money and spent it, so I had to play.

5. I moved to Chicago in 1920 and switched to playing guitar. The guitars I have played include a Jane Regal flattop, Gibson Style 0 with a carved top, oval soundhole, body scroll, and cutaway, Gibson L-7 archtop and Martin 000-28.

6. My big break came in 1927 when I signed a record deal with Paramount and released my first record but my records sold poorly. I became more successful when I moved to Bluebird Records in 1934 and began recording with pianist Bob "Black Bob" Call, in 1938 I moved to Vocalion records.

7. I was asked to fill in for the recently deceased Robert Johnson at the John H. Hammond-produced From Spirituals to Swing concert at Carnegie Hall in 1938 and 1939.

8. I broadened my style in the 1940's to include ragtime, hokum blues, country blues, city blues, jazz tinged songs, folk songs and spirituals. Ronnie Wood of The Rolling Stones claims that my track, "Guitar Shuffle", is his favorite guitar music. Wood said, "It was one of the first tracks I learnt to play, but even to this day I can't play it exactly right." During the benediction at the 2009 inauguration ceremony of President Barack Obama, the civil rights leader Rev. Dr. Joseph Lowery paraphrased my song "Black, Brown and White Blues".

9. I passed away on August 15, 1958 in Chicago from complications with cancer. Many blues men including Muddy Waters attend my funeral.

10. My first name is "Big Bill"

I am ???